About

Col Ellis is an AIPP Master of Photography, and lives in Canberra, the National Capital of Australia. His upbringing on a rural property outside Canberra instilled in him an appreciation of the wide open spaces of Australia, along with an affinity with the natural flora and fauna of the landscape.

Since 1970, he has worked in professional photographic laboratories in Canberra and Sydney, and run a  successful wedding and portrait photography business in Canberra until 2002 before making a decision to return to his lifelong passion, that of exploring the connection between  humanity and the natural environment in which we live. As a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography since 1994, he gained one of the AIPPs highest accolades as a Master of Photography in 2005.

Through the photographic medium, he captures, creates, and enhances his landscape and art images to emphasize the bond that he believes is essential for both our spiritual fulfillment, and the preservation of the planet and environment in which we live, all too often either taken for granted or completely ignored.

He has three beautiful children, Kylie, Mitchell, and Aaron, along with their three beautiful partners, Kris, Colleen, and Kate, and two beautiful grandchildren, Emily and Hayden, who all live in Queensland. Col finds the ‘beautiful one day and perfect the next’  predictability of Queensland a little mundane, and prefers the fantastic changes of the seasons in southern Australia more to his liking.

Bio

2009

  • Silver Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Sydney, Australia

2008

  • Exhibition ‘Roadkills and Roadside Memorials’
    Gallery 27, Kingston
  • Exhibition ‘Tibet Unveiled’
    Framemaker Gallery, Canberra City

2007

  • Exhibited Beowulf Gallery
    Woollahara, Sydney
  • Exhibited  ‘Art Melbourne’
    Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
  • Exhibited 2007 Daylesford Foto Biennale
    Daylesford, Victoria
  • Three Silver Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Melbourne, Australia

2006

  • Exhibition ‘Birragai and Beyond’
    Canberra
  • Exhibition ‘Spiritual Bond’
    Gallery 27, Canberra
  • Silver Distinction Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Sydney, Australia

2005

  • Master of Photography Accreditation
  • Two Silver Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Brisbane, Australia

2004

  • Gold Distinction, Gold, Silver Distinction, Silver Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Sydney, Australia
  • Represented in Tasmanias Wilderness Gallery ‘Break o’ Day’ Exhibition
  • Represented in 2004 APPA National Tour Exhibition
  • Open Folio Award
  • ACT AIPP Photography Awards

2003

  • Two Silver Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Perth, Australia

2002

  • Gold & three Silver Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Brisbane, Australia
  • Represented in 2002 APPA National Tour Exhibition

2000

  • Silver Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Sydney, Australia

1999

  • Silver Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Melbourne, Australia

1998

  • Three Attainment Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards Adelaide, Australia

1997

  • 2 Silver Awards
    Australian Professional Photography Awards. Canberra, Australia

1996

  • Silver Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards. Brisbane, Australia
  • Represented in Australian Heritage Commission
  • Wild Rivers National Photographic Touring Exhibition

1995

  • Silver Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards. Sydney, Australia
  • ACT Portrait Photographer of the Year
  • ACT Illustrative Photographer of the Year
  • ACT AIPP Photography Awards Winner of Landscape Category
  • Winner of Theme Category Photex 1995
    Canberra, Australia

1994

  • Merit Award
    19th Exhibition of Police Photography of Australasia and South West Pacific Region, Canberra, Australia
  • Place Winner in Self Commissioned Category Photex 1994
    Canberra, Australia
  • Winner of Best Colour Photo of the Year
    CIT Associate Diploma of Arts in Photography Awards

1993

  • Place Winner in Category
    18th Exhibition of Police Photography of Australasia and South West Pacific Region,Christchurch, New Zealand
  • Silver Award
    Australian Professional Photography Awards, Sydney, Australia
  • Representation in CIT Imagebank Collection
  • Representation in APPA National Tour Exhibition
  • Winner - Bica Prolab Open Award
    For Academic Achievement, CIT Associate Diploma of Arts in Photography

1992

  • Grand Prize and Category Place Winner
    17th Exhibition of Police Photographyof Australasia and South West Pacific Region,Brisbane, Australia
  • Feature Article
    Lightning Photography, the Electric Atmosphere, Australian Photography magazine
  • Publication in Ford/New Holland
    Rural Heritage Award calendar
  • Publication in Kodak/Australian Photography
    My Country calendar

1991

  • Production of video
    Beneath the Southern Cross – Images of Australia
  • Place Winner
    A Day in the Life competition, Australian Photography

1990

  • Solo Exhibition
    Australian Eulogy Gorman House, Canberra.